Cupola installation and charging system therefor



April 3o, 1946. S H. FRASER 2,399,341

CUPOLA INSTALLATION AND CHARGING SYSTEM THEREFOR Filed Nov. 9, 1944# s sheets-sheet 1V A April 3o, 1946. H. FRASER 2,399,341

CUPOLA INSTALLATION AND CHARGING SYSTEM THEREFOR Filed Nov. 9, 1944 3 sheets-sheet` 2 April 30, 1946. l FRASER l 2,399,341

CUPOLA INSTALLATION AND CHARGING SYSTEM THEREFOR Filed Nov. 9. 1944 s sheets-sheet s Patented Apr. 30, 1946 j UNITED sTATEs PATENTV 4OIYAFICE CUPOLA INSTALLATION AND CHARGING SYSTEM THEREFOR'V Henry Fraser, Arbroath, Scotland,A assignor to Douglas Fraser & Sons LimitedArbroath, Scotland, a corporation of Great Britain Application November 9, 1944, Serial No. 562,725

In Great Britain September 10, 1943 Y 3 Claims.V (Cal. 26S-27) This invention relates to a cupola installation and semi-automatic charging system therefor, the cupolas being arranged singly or in a groupof two or more.

' For convenience, in the following description, it is assumed that the installation comprises two cupolas,

The ordinary cupola consists of a long vertical hollow cylinder having a charging door served from a charging platform or mechanical charger about mid-height of the cupola; the upper end of the cupola projects through the foundry roof, with or without a dust collecting device.

- In the installation according to the invention each cupola consists of an upright cylinder merely serving to accommodate the working charge f metal and coke. The upper end of each cupola projects slightly within a dust-collecting enclovision for admission of air into the enclosure above the edges of the platform. The top of the enclosure mergesA into a smoke duct which may penetrate the foundry roof (if any), and discharge above the roof.

In operation, gases emerging from the top charge of material in each cupola pass immediately into contact with a large excess of cold air entering around the edges of the platform. The gases (if inflammable) therefore ,burn With a short llame and impinge directly on a baffle plate xed above the cupola, which deflects them, and ensures that they are well mixed with cold air.

A pivoted jib crane vis mounted ony the platform so that the jib may swing over the tops of the two cupolas, and also over two positions on the floor where charging skips are lifted and lowered. The post of this crane is slightly inclined to the vertical so that the jib has a bias to swing from either lifting position towards its neighbouring cupola. The crane is operated by a control lever near the ground level.

Conveniently two skips are used alternately, being loaded with suitable amounts of coke, pig, scrap and ux. The skips are hung on spring balances adapted to be suspended on trolleys which travel along an overhead runway leading past coke and metal bins, to a, terminus adjacent to the lifting points, the materials being weighedv as they are thrown into the skips. A transfer bogie enables a skip to be carried from under the runway to either lifting point or vice versa.

- In operation, the' first skip is loaded and brought forward adjacentv to the lifting point where it is deposited on one end of the bogie.

Meantime the empty'skip has been deposited by lifting point. The operator then raises the control lever which sets a winch in motion and permits a trip lever` to engagea weighted operating lever, and thek first skip is lifted to its upper level, whenrthe rising sheave block actuates a vjib skip lever, which releases the trip lever by means of wire ropes, and permits the weighted operating lever to drop and engage a brake, thus stopping and sustaining the skip automatically, the jib meantime being retained laterally by a jib catch. The hook of each spring balance is provided with a depositing device such as a hand-operated eccentric cam or similar mechanism, whereby the loaded skip is deposited on the bogie, and the empty skip is lifted from the bogie. Meanwhile the operator has moved the second skip under the runway and has lifted said skip (by operation of.

the depositing device) from the bogie and drawn it along the runway for loading.`

At a desired moment the operator pulls a cord which releases a jib catch which has been holding the jib with the rst skip in the lifted position. The jibv swings automatically over the cupola in use, vovercoming the resistance of a v where the jib stops and is held by the jib catch.

As soon as the operator is ready, he places the control lever in an intermediate position and the empty skip descends rapidly under the control of the brake. Shortly before the empty skip reaches the bogie, the operator releases the control lever which falls into its lowest (orstop) position and the skip stops. The operator closes the drop bottom and lowers the skip gently on to the-transfer bogie, This completes the cycle.

In the'accompanying drawings Fig'. 1 is a side view, Fig. 2 a front view, partly in section, Fig. 2a a detail view, drawn to a larger scale, of part of Fig. 2, Fig. 3A a plan view, and Fig. 4 a fragmentary elevation, partly in section of an'installation according to the invention.

In the installation illustrated .each of two cupolas consists offan upright cylinder l merely long. enoughto-accommodate the working charge of metal and coke. The upper end of each cupola terminates in a substantial metal cope ring 2, and projects slightly within a dust-collecting enclosure 3 surrounding the tops of the cupolas I, I.

The floor of the enclosure 3 consists of a platform 4 enclosing the tops of the cupolas I, I.

The sides oil. they enclosure 3 aresp'aceida short dis,`

tance above the edgesrv of the platform 4, thus admitting air all round the bottom of the enclosure. The top of the enclosure merges into` a smoke duct 5. areas of the enclosure 3 and of the cupolasgi, IT, are preferably in the ratio of at least Til. cross sectional areas of the smoke duet an'dr'of the cupolas i, I, are preferably in the ratioof about 2:1.

The horizontal cross sectional,A

The height of the enclosure 3v is a` 2,399,341 Q i -v lever I8 engages a catch ISb on the weighted lever I9 whereby temporarily to retain said lever j inraisedyposition. The first skip is then lifted to The" upper level, when the sheave block actuates thek jib trip lever 2IA operatively connected to a further: skip trip lever 2Ia, whereby to cause the f 'tr-ip; lever 2Ia to trip a jib catch yZll'connected by multiple-of the diameter of ,the-y largest cupolayif the cupolas are of unequal diameters;

A sliding door (or doors), as 6, formingpat least part of one side of the enclosure is (or are), arranged toV permit the passage of the jib of a crane withl skip hereinafterdescribed. p

In operation, gases emerging from the topl charge of material in each cupola pass immediately into contact with alarge excess ofY cold air entering aroundy the edges of theplatform 4-. The gases (if inflammable) therefore burn` with ashort flame and impingedirectly ona baille plate 1 xed above each cupola, which. deflects them, andV ensures that they are well mixed with cold air. Thus, the velocity and temperature of the gases emerging from theV cupolas into' therelatively spacious enclosure 3 fall rapidly and there is no need toline Vthe enclosure 3. and smoke duct 5 with firebrick. Wire-resisting plaster is sufcient. The overheadl structure (consisting of the platform 4, enclosure 3, and duct 5) maybe relatively light. i

Nearly all the dust is deposited at once on the platform'4, where it causes no inconvenience, and may be removed by any convenient means. Owing to the indraft of cold air around the edges of the platform little grit fall oif the platform 4. Very little grit. is carried up to the duct-5'.

A. pivoted jib crane is placed sov that the jib B mayswingl over the topsrof the two4 cupolas for temporary arrest by stops, and alsov over two stations at the ground level, where charging'skipsare lifted and lowered. The post 3 of' this crane is slightlyinclined to the vertical, so that the jib 8 has a bias to swing from either lifting position towards its neighbouring cupola andstop 29. The crane is operated by a control lever I near the` ground level through the intermediary of a winch II. There is no charging platform, and there are no operativesv except those loading the' skips II. Lifting and lowering positions are at the same station', the position used being always that nearest the cupola in use. During melting, the door 6 adjacent tothe cupola being operated is kept open.

Conveniently twoskips I I are used alternately. these being, loaded at a loading station with suitable amounts ofV coke, pig, scrap and flux.V An overhead runway I2 extends from the loading station transversely of |.3` on which is movable a transfer bogie I4capable of receiving two skips. The skips are hung on springbalances I-5 suspended on trolleys I6 which travel along the runwayIZ. p y Y l y In operation, the first skip I.I is loaded and; brought forward adjacent. to 'thelifting; point where itis, deposited on oneY end of the ,bugie t4. Meantime `-thezempty skip hasebeen; deposited`4 by a wire rope 22. to'thespring-inuenced trip lever I8, thereby actuating the trip lever I to release the weighted lever I9. The weighted lever I9, returning to initial position by gravity, disengages the driving element of the clutch I'Ia and engages thebraking element whereby the skip I I is stopped and sustainedK automatically, the jib I3l being retained laterally by the jib catch 24, see Fig. 1.

The jib is retained against the 4catch 24 under the influence of. a counter-balanceweight 28 suspended on a wire rope 28' passing over a guide pulley 28." and connectedV to the noseof thejib 8. rfhe hook of each spring balance` |5- is provided with a. depositing device includinga hand-operated eccentricv I5 whereby the loaded skip is deposited on thebogie I4, and the empty skip is lifted from the bogie. Meanwhile the operator has moved theseeond skip under the runway I2 andr has lifted. said skip (by operation ofthe respective depositing device) from the bogiet I4, and drawn it along the runway I2 for loading.

At. a desired moment the operator pulls a cord 26 which releases the jib catch 24 which has been holding the jib 8 with the first skip in the lifted position; The jibswings automatically: overV the cupola in use, overcoming the resistance of. a counterbalance weight 28, and a trigger arm 27 on the skip comes into contact with a stop-o1' projecting arm 29', releasingthe drop bottom of the skip, so that the contents fall: vertically and;`

centrally into thes respectiva cupola, see Fig." 4. The stop 29is hingedly connected'. tothe frame of the cupola and maybe turned` up out cfthe path. of -movement of the skip when not required', asv

shown in. dotted lines in Fig. 4'. There is a stopr or hinge'd'- projectingv arm 29 for each cupola. The skip, being now empty, is relatively light, and the counterebalance weight 28 automatically and immediately returns the jib with the4 skip to the rst lifted. position of the skip where the jib stops and is heldY by the jib catchV 24. As soon as the operator is ready, he places the control lever Illin an intermediate position and the empty skip cle-y scends rapidly under the control of the brake. Shortly before the empty skip reaches the bogie I4, the operator releases the lever IIII which falls into its lowest (or stop) position and the empty skip stops. The operator closes the drop bottom and lowers the skip gently on to the transfer bogie I4. This completes the-cycle.V

.The winchv II isdriven by' an enclosed dust-v proof motor'BU supported on a lifting unit platform 3-I placed at any convenient position adjacent tothe cupolas. A winding drumY 3l2 actuated by the winch operates a wire rope 33 leading to the jib` of. theA crane and from this rope 33? the'` skip is suspended while lifting andy-lowering.v The winch I1.' contains a double. ended? friction clutch 'HuA controlled by one; lever.4A The up position of the lever I0 is "lift and the "down position is stop, while the intermediate or free position is lower. The lowering function is gravity-operated by the Weight of the skip, and is controlled by the brake to prevent excessive variation in speed Whether of an empty or a full skip.

While the installation described uses one loading runway for two hoisting positions with two skips, the installation might comprise a circular runway in which the skips do not have to pass each other, and a diierent kind oftransfer bogie, or even no bogie at all, may be found convenient.

What is claimed is:

1. A cupola loading installation comprising a dust-collecting enclosure having a floor through which projects the upper end of the cupola, said iloor constituting a platform, said enclosure contrived for entrance o1 air above said platform, a. smoke duct into which merges the top of said enclosure, a jib crane supported on said platform and controllable from the ground level, a jib catch and a stop spaced from one another, said crane being operable to lift and lower charging skips and to swing relatively to the cupola between said jib catch and said stop.

2. An installation as claimed in claim 1 including a projecting arm adapted to release the drop bottom of a skip when in cupola-charging position.

3. An installation as claimed in claim 1 in which a. counterbalance weight connected by a rope to the jib opposes the movement of the jib in its swinging movement towards the cupola.

HENRY FRASER. 

